Twenty questions with the Indianapolis Colts . . . No. 5: What will defense look like in 2009?

July 14, 10:11 AMIndianapolis Colts ExaminerJohn Oehser

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QUESTION NO. 5: WHAT WILL THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS LOOK LIKE ON DEFENSE IN 2009?

Of the major questions facing the Indianapolis Colts in the 2009 offseason, few are as shrouded in mystery as just how the team will appear on defense next season.

Jim Caldwell, shortly after succeeding Tony Dungy as head coach in January, replaced longtime defensive coordinator Ron Meeks with Larry Coyer, and since then, there have been questions about the unit.

(Note: This is the fifth of a 20-part Examiner series on the Indianapolis Colts -- Twenty Questions with the Colts -- leading into 2009 training camp. Over 20 days, we'll take a look at 20 questions facing the team entering the season . . .)

Certainly, there will be some changes.

But will they be major? Will they be minor? Will there be an overhaul? Or tweaks? Will the Colts indeed look bigger on the interior of the line? Will there be more blitzing? Just what impact will a new coordinator have?

Said middle linebacker and defensive captain Gary Brackett: In years past, you saw more of a laid-back defense, more pass concerns and letting the front four guys get after the quarterback. Now, you're going to see more of everyone getting involved.

Caldwell during the Colts' recent organized team activities addressed the issue: 

Let me put it this way: there’s not anything we’re doing we haven’t done previously. Everything within our arsenal always has been the same. We may be working on some little tweaks here and there, but we’re still four down linemen, three linebackers, four deep. Our base is four-three with a Tampa 2 in terms of our coverage. We still are the same team in that sense. Don’t expect to come out and see some brand-new scheme that’s totally different than what we’ve done before.

Caldwell cautioned throughout the offseason against expecting major changes in the defense. The Colts for nearly a decade havce drafted players to fit the Tampa 2 coverage scheme and one-gap style of defensive play. Defensive ends Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney are high-impact, Pro Bowl players and it's hard to see the Colts going to a scheme where their skills aren't featured heavily. And even the move to bigger defensive tackles -- a high-profile topic around the draft -- isn't a major change. Yes, the Colts drafted 300-pounders Fili Moala and Terrance Taylor, but the Colts have had 300-pounders before. It's just that recently events have conspired to make them unavailable -- i.e., injuries to Corey Simon and Anthony "Booger" McFarland, the retirement of Quinn Pitcock and the release of Ed Johnson. The most interesting thing to watch on the line early next season likely will be the effectiveness of Taylor, the first true nose tackle the Colts have had in years.

Still, throughout OTAs, changes to the defense were a primary topic. Players and Caldwell spoke in generalities about more aggressiveness (blitzing), different coverage schemes and new looks up front and throughout the defense. When talking about it, most members of the Colts' defense were obviously excited about the chance to be aggressive, and Coyer told the Indianapolis Star while "the whole basis of the defense hasn't changed . . . you want to give (Colts quarterback Peyton Manning) as many (possessions) as you can." That seems to point to a far more aggressive philosophy in the past, and while the details of the changes won't be known until the regular season, there's little question this will be a major storyline in '09.

QUESTION NO. 5: WHAT WILL THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS LOOK LIKE ON DEFENSE IN 2009?

Answer: Hard to say for certain, but there almost certainly will be a more aggressive feel.

EXAMINER SERIES: TWENTY QUESTIONS WITH THE COLTS . . . 

1) Will Jim Sorgi be the backup quarterback?

2) Will Special Teams be Special?

3) Who will be the Colts' breakout player in 2009?

THE POSITION-BY-POSITION PRE-TRAINING CAMP SERIES: 

• The QUARTERBACKS
• The RUNNING BACKS
• The TIGHT ENDS
• The WIDE RECEIVERS
• The OFFENSIVE TACKLES
• The OFFENSIVE GUARDS
• The CENTERS
• The DEFENSIVE ENDS
• The DEFENSIVE TACKLES
• The LINEBACKERS
• The CORNERBACKS
• The SAFETIES

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• A look back at 2009 Colts minicamp
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• A look at the defense entering 2009 minicamp
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• QB Peyton Manning among three Colts players ranked highly in Madden 2010
• Hints Emerging about potential Colts defensive changes
• Top Five Real Issues Facing Colts Entering 2009
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